I'm having trouble with "google docs for google apps" for a new startup. I want the equivalent of a shared fileserver for employees.

Here are the issues:

0) Sharing collections within a google apps domain doesn't make them appear for other users. A workaround is to create a single root collection, under which all other collections exist. The idea is that you only need to make sure a new user becomes aware of the one thing.

1) Files in a shared collection sometimes don't show up for other users. I believe it's if the ownership of the file originally rested outside the domain. But it's hard to see what files won't show up, short of clicking on each one to look at ownership.

2) Trying to work around #1, there's no easy way to change file or collection ownership if it originally came from outside the domain.

3) I can't get the shared "root collection" to remain on a user's docs view. It doesn't show up as a "collection shared with me", and the user also can't drag the collection to their "My collections" list (has no effect).

4) sometimes users still can't access files I share with them, and can't add them to their collections, even if I share them directly. I just can't figure that one out at all.

5) Google doesn't provide any support beyond occasionally-monitored forums, even for paying customers, unless you have real downtime, making it hard to figure out #1-4.

Anyone have best practices that avoid these issues, or is this just a bad use of google docs for apps? I'm really worried that with the lack of support and list of issues so far, I would continue to hit weird problems.

ohhh now i understand. Yeh I don't think you can solve that. My startup team is all on the same master domain. We have a bunch of other domains that we added as the addon domains, but we only create docs under the main domain. sorry.
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JasonApr 15 '11 at 1:50